But research suggests that divorce can be good for men – at least in terms of making them fitter. Women, on the other hand, are likely to become less healthy.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, are based on checks on 9,000 men and women, with an average age of 45, over an eight-year period.

They suggest men who go through a divorce pay more attention to their bodies in a bid to try and win a new mate.

Men who remain married, on the other hand, are more likely to let themselves go a bit as they no longer need to compete for a partner.

Although the divorce rate in England and Wales is falling and currently stands at its lowest rate for 29 years, the UK still has the highest divorce rate in Europe, at 11.5 divorcing people per 1,000 married people.

Divorce rates are highest among couples in their late twenties.

Previous studies have suggested the trauma of a marriage break-up may harm health irreparably.

Last year, a US study found divorcees have 20 per cent more chronic illnesses, such as cancer, than those who never marry. Even among those that remarry, the figure only drops to 12 per cent, suggesting much of the damage to health cannot be undone.

But the latest study, by experts at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, suggests divorced men often offset this increase in risk by taking steps to bolster their fitness.

Scientists recorded whether the volunteers remained single, married, got divorced or remarried.

Each one underwent regular treadmill tests to measure their fitness.

The results showed men who divorced saw a rise in fitness levels, while those in men who married during the study period declined.

In a report on their findings, the researchers said: 'There was a significant increase in fitness levels in men who divorced but a tendency towards a decrease in the fitness of women who divorced.

抛开失去至爱的痛苦不谈，离婚可能是生活中压力最大的一件事。

然而研究表明，离婚可能给男性带来好处——至少有益健康。但对女性来说，离婚却有害健康。

这项历时八年的研究共对九千名平均年龄为45岁的男性和女性进行了调查。研究成果发表在《美国流行病学杂志》上。

研究表明，离异男性会更多地关注自己的身材，力图另觅佳偶。

而正处于婚姻中的男性则更容易不修边幅，因为他们不需要为一个女人比拼了。

尽管英格兰和威尔士的离婚率正在下跌，而且已跌至29年来的最低值，但英国的离婚率还是居于欧洲之首，平均每1000个已婚人士中有11.5人在闹离婚。

其中，“奔三”夫妇的离婚率最高。

此前的研究表明，婚姻破裂带来的精神创伤会对健康造成不可弥补的损害。

美国去年开展的一项研究发现，离婚人士患癌症等慢性病的概率比未婚人士高20%。即使是再婚的人，慢性病的患病率也要比未婚者高12%。由此可见，离婚对健康造成的诸多损害都是无法消除的。

但斯德哥尔摩卡罗林斯卡研究所的专家们开展的一项最新研究认为，离婚男人会采取一些措施来增强体质，这抵消了患病机率上升的负面影响。

在研究中，科学家将被调查者分为单身、已婚、离婚和再婚四类加以记录。

每个人都进行了常规的跑步机测试来检验他们的健康水平。

结果显示，离婚后的男士更健康了，而在研究期间走入婚姻殿堂的男士健康水平则出现下滑。

研究人员在报告中写道：“离婚男人的健康水平有显著提高，而离婚女人的健康水平则呈下降趋势。